- April 18, 2024
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William Young’s days usually starts at about 6 a.m. and doesn't wrap up until 12 at night. That’s a schedule he follows seven days a week for the majority of the year.
By 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 22, Young had his Hayburner Food Truck parked at the City Center in preparation for hungry people who were attending the Port Orange Spring Fair and Food Festival.
Young was one of several people at the four-day event who run their own food truck business.
Young has been cooking for 26 years, working in the Marriott hotel industry for about 15 of those years. It wasn't until roughly six months ago that Young decided to head off to work for himself and use his knowledge to run a food truck. He now travels around the state with his wife, also a chef, and their three children running the business.
Between going to farms to buy produce, going to events and completing necessary paperwork, running a food truck keeps Young and his family busy. However, it's a job he enjoys.
"It's a lot of fun and I like working for myself," Young said. "It's more fun to work for myself and work with my family."
Next to Young's truck was Churros and Cream, run by husband and wife duo, Frank and Mardha Gonzalez. The couple got the idea to run a pastry-style food truck when they lived in the Dominican Republic where Frank was an engineer.
"It was a dream we had for year," Mardha said, adding that her husband had also run a restaurant before working in engineering and always wanted to go back into the food industry.
The couple started their business three years ago and went into it full-time when Frank retired two and a half years ago.
Mariah said that they have learned as they go, working out the expenses of ingredients with other costs, such as gas. The couple, who usually work between Thursday and Sunday, also makes their ingredients fresh for each event, which means preparing the cream from scratch and rolling the dough on the spot. All that's needed afterward is the sugar and cinnamon.
"We like being on the road a lot, we enjoy meeting people," Mardha said. "It's hard work but you're doing it with your husband and you're your own boss. It's a good thing."
Then there's Tammy Hoffman who has been running the local Kona Ice trucks for five years with her longtime friend Judy Capell. The two women decided to go into the shaved-ice truck business as their retirement plan.
They had traveled to Hawaii several times and became interested in the flavorful shaved-ice. When they came across the Kona Ice franchise, they knew they had found what they were looking for.
The women started out with one truck eventually obtaining three large trucks and a mini Kona Ice truck. While Hoffman and Capell find enjoyment from running their own business, their true passion is fundraising, whether it is for churches, schools or sports teams.
"We raise money for whoever we can," Hoffman said. "Watching all the kids smile is super fun and we have fun with the community."
